No one in America – the spiritual home of the late night chat/entertainment show – would ever launch such a show without making sure music was at its heart.
So the half-baked UK experiment in doing something similar, ITV’s The Nightly Show, represents a massive missed opportunity for the music biz.
It’s easy to sneer now at the show’s floundering hosts and flatlining ratings, but we should ponder why music hasn’t been part of its offering, especially given our business’ proven ability to create viral moments.
After all, where would James Corden or Jimmy Fallon be without musical guests?
Yet, when asked by Music Week about opportunities for musical appearances on the show, a Nightly Show spokesman confirmed there would be no regular slot for live performances, although he did add they would appear sometimes, depending on the host.
But, while John Bishop and Davina McCall at least had Roger Daltrey and Boy George on as guests, after David Walliams had pretty much ignored music altogether (bar a plug for The Voice), there’s been little sign of engagement with actual releases.
While Rag’N’Bone Man, Stormzy and Ed Sheeran have brought sales and excitement back to our industry, mainstream TV – still the best platform for promotion out there – seemingly remains unconvinced at its ability to pull in punters.
The Nightly Show might not be on-air for long. But, while it is, the biz should lobby long and hard to get some live music on there before the idea that you can do an entertainment show without it takes hold.
Because the Nightly No-Show is no good to anyone.
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